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Leeanna Rossi: Helping after disasters good for veterans

By Leeanna Rossi

Posted:
04/16/2014 01:36:24 PM MDT

Rossi

It all started with a natural disaster taking place half way around the world and being played out on TV here in the states for Team Rubicon to be born. In 2010, after seeing the destruction in Haiti following a deadly earthquake, Marine scout sniper Jake Wood called a couple of friends, posted a note on Facebook and headed to Haiti to help relief efforts. Forty-eight hours later, Wood and seven other volunteers who heard the call, found themselves headed for Haiti.

So, what makes this little rag-tag group of volunteers special? Wood and Team Rubicon co-founder, William McNulty, have ultimately found a way to use relief work to help veterans transition back into civilian life. Team Rubicon pairs military veterans with medical volunteers and focuses on the needs in underdeveloped countries, particularly places where other groups don't send volunteers. Primarily, the group is comprised of young, hungry military combat veterans with the mindset that there is nothing they can't do. They hit the ground running and travel light once a disaster has been identified.

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Veterans who struggle to find their place after leaving the military thrive with Team Rubicon. Many with diagnosed PTSD and depression find relief when they are on missions. Clay Hunt, Wood's scout sniper partner, wrote after his third trip to Haiti, "I found a renewed sense of purpose within myself that has been missing since I separated from the (Marines). I found myself in the company of a band of brothers once again, which has been absolutely priceless to me."

Service for most veterans gives them a sense of purpose, of self-worth. These are things that veterans lose when they leave service. "Veterans need challenges and opportunities. It's foolish not to tap them for disaster response." Woods stated. This is why Team Rubicon missions are so valuable. They help military veterans with a critical part of their reintegration. These volunteers are apt to feel more comfortable talking about their military experiences while sitting around a campfire with other veterans than sitting in a therapist's office.

Team Rubicon has dispatched combat veterans to disaster sights in Haiti, Chili, Pakistan, Burma and the Sudan, to name a few. Wood and McNulty realized that their organization could attract more veterans and increase their relief efforts if they also included disasters here at home. So after a tornado ripped through Tuscaloosa, Ala., Team Rubicon Domestic was born. Rubicon volunteers turned out to remove trees and clean up debris. J.C. McGreehan, a military veteran volunteer of Team Rubicon, summed up his experience by saying, "My transition from the military was pretty difficult. I had this incredible gap in my life. Just knowing you have even five minutes of positive impact on somebody's life is so rewarding."

It is estimated that approximately 18 veterans kill themselves every day. Team Rubicon offers a unique opportunity for veterans to give to others in need while rediscovering their sense of purpose and self-worth.